Send me email updates about messages I've received
on the site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.By signing up, you certify that
you are female and accept the Terms of Service and have read the
Privacy Policy.

Why does my 4 month old only sleep 8 hours at night (waking to feed) and won't nap during the day?

I'm so exhausted! My 4 month old sleeps 8 hours at night, waking every 2 hours to feed and will not nap! She's never fallen asleep by herself! Car rides and nursing her to sleep are the only ways that work, but if I move her, she wakes instantly! Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to get her to sleep more so I can get some sleep?
Help!

maybe she has Fear of Missing Something. im convinced my son has it when he is cranky and "fights" the sleep. i assure him ill wake him if anything fun is going on, and i dont know if its just my voice (he is two months) or if it really does soothe him to know he isnt missing anything. lol try over stimulating her. lots of tummy time, playing laughing stories, toys, wearing her. im sure it is normal. maybe she wakes up easy because she has gas?

I would try this.. a 4 month old baby needs so many hours of sleep total a day.. and what your baby is getting is honestly not enough.. At 4 months if she has doubled her birth weight she can sleep up to 5-6 hours by herself with no feeding. I would try this for 2-3 nights and see if by the 4 th night she is still doing but let her cry it out.. and dont go in and feed her every 2 hours. As for her nap if I were you I would lay her down 2 1/2 hours after she has woken up in her crib let her be in there for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours and again give her nap 2 1/2 hours after she has woken up and again till YOU say its bed time. and then let wake her around 10 feed her, and then let her go as long as she can but make sure you let it go longer then 4-5 hours that will help her with naps and all, the first couple days she may cry and cry but trust me she will sleep. Some babies cry to put themself to sleep.

babies NEED rest.. dont think any differently. My daughter is not 7 months and sleep from 8 till 1 (I feed her) and then from 1 to 8. 12 hours.. she then takes a nap from 1130 to 130-2. and a small 45 1 hour nap around 4. I know alot of Mom's on here may disagree with me but GET the babywise book you will never regret your decision!

Mine were taking three naps at this age. When our kids were showing signs of being tired we found it worked best to have a sleep time routine that was always the same. Diaper change, swaddling, lights out, drapes pulled, soft music on or singing, cuddling/rocking/swaying. Not all of these but whatever works for you. When the baby got drowsy he was laid down. If done in the same manner, all the time, the baby picks up on the cues and knows it's time for sleeping. The lady I do childcare for has asked me to follow a set routine with her baby too. If the baby cries at all it isn't for long. And I don't mean screaming her lungs out, but minor fussing. Now is a good age to set up your routine and stick to it. She will start to self soothe and get the naps she needs. GL!

Our DD sleeps 18-19 hrs a day and she is 7 months. She wakes at 6:30 am, then again at 10:30 to watch Elmo, then at 2pm and again at 5pm, then goes to bed between 6pm - 7pm and sleeps through until 6:30am again. Every book/web site that I reseached it on said that is normal. I was worried she was getting too much sleep, but she's happy and is gaining good weight.Try more tummy time and know her signs of tiredness. For us, it's a sigh, then another one - then she's ready for her crib......even if she just lays there, she's relaxed and then drifts off eventually. Good Luck and I hope it works out......